The Playbook: How To Ditch the Darts

In partnership with Preventitive Health SA

Whether it's the ciggie you sneak into your morning routine or the dart you enjoy with your Friday night knockoffs, smoking can become cemented into your routine before you know it, and quitting suddenly looks like a huge hill to climb.

Enter: The Playbook. In partnership with Preventive Health SA, we've put together a step-by-step guide to help you ditch the darts, deal with the durries and take back control of your quitting journey. From understanding what causes you to light up in the first place, to curbing those cravings altogether, rolled neatly into a method that works for you. Because maybe you know you want to quit, you just don’t know where to start.

1. Know Your Triggers

What makes you light up?

It's time to get a grip on what makes you itch for a smoke before you start your quitting process, so you can avoid your triggers and be fully prepared. Some people reach for a dart when they encounter stress, boredom, being outside at a gig or drinking with mates. Suddenly, there’s a reason to spark up multiple times a day.

Smoking is influenced by both nicotine dependence and triggers. Once you start understanding yours, and how these triggers are linked to your habits, emotions and addictions, you can start to plan how to avoid slip-ups.

Quiz Time: Scan the QR code to find out more about your smoking triggers and what might be behind the urge to light up.

2. Create A Plan

Make a clean break

Your quitting plan is just like your intention to learn the guitar, so if you’re saying, "I'll do it eventually", those bar chords are looking like a pipe dream. If you’re serious about quitting, give yourself things to work towards and milestones to celebrate.

Firstly, pick a date that feels achievable to start your quitting journey.

Secondly, remind yourself why. Whether it’s saving money, your physical health, or you’re sick of planning your time around that smoke break. Write down your reason, keep it somewhere accessible and remind yourself every time you feel like scratching that lung-damaging itch.

Thirdly, know your triggers. Figure out what makes you pull out the packet and prepare yourself for those situations by having alternative activities and distractions.

Finally, choose your method. There's no tried-and-true trick for quitting, so what worked for your mate’s mate might not work for you. While some people quit cold turkey, others slow down until quitting completely.

3. Quitting Methods

How to start stubbing it out

Choosing which method works for you is all a part of the process.

Cold Turkey: for when you’re ready to ash it all at once. This method involves giving up the smokes without replacement or medication. It works well for some and is worth a try if you think you’ve got it in the bag.

Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT): this method helps to curb the cravings without shocking the system all at once. You can replace your smokes with nicotine patches, gum, mints and other sanctioned alternatives, helping to eliminate the damage that smoking does to your bank account, and the damage inhaling smoke and other harmful chemicals can do. Currently, eligible South Australian quitters may be able to access free combination NRT through Quitline! Find out more by scanning the QR code below.

Stop-smoking Medication: You can also chat to your doctor or pharmacist about medical alternatives. If you think your quitting journey is going to be a tough one, make an appointment and start the conversation today.

4. Stopping the 'Social Smoking'

Keep the social, lose the smoke

Two things can be true, and you don’t need to light up when you go out.

Social situations can be a trigger for many smokers, especially when your mates also enjoy that casual durrie whilst cracking your Friday night beers. So how can you avoid the social smoking seduction?

Prepare to replace and distract. If your usual routine is enjoying a smoke in between bands at a weekend gig or taking a break from the function with a dart, you can find a replacement behaviour to eliminate the urge. Hydrate, chew some gum, start a conversation or a game of pool.

Let everyone know you've quit. When a mate slides the pack your way, let them know you’ve started your quitting journey. In doing so, you're both holding yourself accountable and taking the "want one?" out of the equation.

Understand your alcohol-to-smoke pipeline. If drinking and smoking tend to go hand in hand for you, consider cutting back on alcohol when you first quit. It can help you manage triggers and cravings until they start to ease.

5. Slip-ups Are Not Failure

Caved on one? Don’t let your slip-up become a backslide

Accept that choosing to quit is choosing to partake in a process. If you find yourself having had one moment of weakness, you shouldn’t let it destroy the hard work you’ve put in.

Treat it as a lesson and move forward. Your quitting journey does not have to restart.

6. Where To Get Help?

Call in the reinforcements

Want to see where you could be? Scan the QR code to read real stories from people who have ditched the darts, with relatable anecdotes, pointers and inspiration to keep you on track.

Quitline offers free, confidential support from trained counsellors who can help you put down the pack for good.

Wanting to quit? Call 13 7848 for support or head to Quitline’s website for tools, tips and resources.

Visit the Be Smoke Free website here and find your way to quit.